Seeking to contribute to Oman’s impressive higher education initiatives, EducationUSA is pleased to continue its tradition of supporting EduTraC this year and looks forward to joining the Omani government and EduTraC organizers in welcoming 16 U.S. colleges and universities to the exhibition.
“We are delighted that so many Omani students are selecting America as their higher education study destination,” said Hania Bekdash, the EducationUSA Adviser whose information and advising services reach thousands of students in Oman who are seeking to study in the U.S. at the graduate or undergraduate level. There are currently over 1,500 Omani students in the U.S., according to the “Open Doors Report on International Educational Exchange,” produced every year by the Institute of International Education. In fact, Oman took the lead in generating the highest increase in the Middle East and North Africa, with 53.5% more Omani students selecting the U.S. as their study destination during the 2013-14 academic year compared to the previous year.
Even beyond Oman, the U.S. remains the destination of choice for higher education, hosting more of the world’s 4.5 million globally minded college and university students than any other country in the world, with almost double the number hosted by the United Kingdom, the second leading host country.
With almost 5,000 accredited academic institutions in the U.S., prospective students can be assured that there is at least one – and probably many – that will meet their needs. Whether a student selects the largest and most prominent metropolitan university or the smallest rural college, whether their field of study is general or highly technical, international alumni of U.S. universities are unanimous as they comment on their experience of living and studying in the United States, highlighting the quality of the education they received and the ways in which it transformed their lives.
EducationUSA is a network of hundreds of advising centers around the world, supported by the U.S. Department of State. EducationUSA advisers assist millions of international students each year as they provide free, accurate, comprehensive, and current information on how to apply to U.S. colleges and universities
Kauther Al Habsi, an Omani student who worked with the EducationUSA in Muscat and gained admission into Michigan State University in 2011, described university experience as follows:
“What I loved about MSU was the size and all the different departments that were there! MSU is an extremely large university and is home to over 6,000 students! I liked the flexibility of course requirements and the professors offered advice and assistance and were really helpful and understanding. I like that Americans are always helpful when you need help, and I liked that some of them reached out to me to break boundaries and to understand my culture more.”
The EducationUSA Center in Oman, which is located at the AMIDEAST office in Airport Heights, offers a variety of information sessions and individual counseling, in addition to a resource center with computers and numerous books and catalogs about higher education in the U.S. For more information, please visit the EducationUSA Website at: www.educationusa.info or contact the Education Adviser at: Advise-HQ@amideast.org.
